Counting mechanisms

ABSTRACT

A counter mechanism is disposed in a housing having a main and detachable portion. A generally U-shaped member is disposed in the housing and supports on its one leg a series of numeral wheels and on its other leg the ters transfer pinions. A groove is provided in the detachable portion of the housing and engages the web portion of the U-shaped member to urge the counter wheels toward the main portion of the housing and to locate the wheels in the correct operational position relative to a counter actuating mechanism.

United States Patent [191 Laven 1 Jan.30, 1973 [54] COUNTING MECHANISMS [76] Inventor: Rolf Laven, Nasby Alle 21 B, Taby,

Sweden 22 Filed: Feb. 28, 1972 211 App]. No.: 229,921

[30] Foreign Application Priority Data March 4, l97l Sweden ..2800/71 [52] U.S.Cl. ..235/117R,235/139R [51] Int. Cl. ..G06c 27/00 [58] Field oi'Search..235/ll7 R, 139 R, 117 A,9l R

[5 6] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 3,403,851 10/1968 Rechliri ..235/117 R 3,452,927 7/1969 Bies et al. 235/117 R Primary ExaminerRichard B. Wilkinson Assistant Examiner-Stanley A. Wal Att0rneyBlore, Klarquist, Sparkman, Campbell and Leigh [57] ABSTRACT A counter mechanism is disposed in a housing having a main and detachable portion. A generally U-shaped member is disposed in the housing and supports on its one leg a series of numeral wheels and on its other leg the ters transfer pinions. A groove is provided in the detachable portion of the housing and engages the web portion of the U-shaped member to urge the counter wheels toward the main portion of the housing and to locate the wheels in the correct operational position relative to a counter actuating mechanism.

4 Claims, 3 Drawing Figures COUNTING MECHANISMS The present invention relates to a counting mechanism having a plurality of counter wheels or the like arranged on a common counter wheel shaft and having means for tens transfer between counter wheels arranged on a support shaft extending parallel with the counter wheel shaft.

Counting mechanisms of this type are used in many different connections and many different forms of such counting mechanisms are known to the art. Known counting mechanisms, however, are expensive to manufacture, and there is a general desire for means by which the cost entailed by the manufacture thereof can be reduced especially in those fields where the actual counting mechanism forms a large part of an apparatus, although obviously a. reduction in the manufacturing cost of a counting mechanism should not be obtained in sacrifice of the necessary accuracy of the mechanism. This has been practically impossible to achieve with known types of calculating mechanisms, however, owing to their present advanced state of development.

The object of the present invention is therefore to provide a counting mechanism of simple construction, which can be'produced more cheaply than known types of counting mechanisms but which in spite of its lower price is equally reliable in operation as known mechanisms. This object is achieved with the counting mechanism according to the present invention, which is mainly characterized in that the counter wheel shaft and the tens transfer means support shaft are formed by the parallel legs of a generally U-shaped member, one leg of which, preferably the counter wheel shaft, is journalled at its free end in a recess located in a housing which includes a detachable portion and which embodies means for actuating the counting mechanism, the web portion of the U-shaped member interconnecting the legs thereof abutting the outer surface of the counting wheel located furthest away from the main portion of the housing and, under the influence of the detachable portion of the housing, urges the counting wheels in a direction towards the main portion of the housing to a position in which the counting wheel located nearest the main portion of the housing abuts the housing and is located in the correct position relative to the actuating means in the housing.

The invention will now be described in detail with reference to an embodiment thereof illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which detachable and FIG. 1 illustrates an operation time meter provided with a counting mechanism according to the invention,

FIG. 2 is a plan view of the arrangement illustrated in FIG. 1 with certain portions cut away, and

FIG. 3 is a sectional view taken along the line lll III in FIG. '2.

In the drawing is shown an operation time meter 1 provided with a counting mechanism constructed in accordance with the invention. In addition to the counting mechanism, the operation time meter comprises a motor 2 and a housing having a main portion 3, which accommodates transmission means and actuators for the counting mechanism, and a portion 4 capable of being removed from the main portion 3 and accommodating the counting mechanism.

The counting mechanism includes a number of counter wheels 5 of known design journalled on a counter wheel shaft 6. Radially and slightly externally of the periphery of the counter wheels 5 is located a support shaft 7 which extends parallel with the counter wheel shaft 6, the support shaft 7 carrying tens transfer means 8 of known construction arranged to co-act with the counter wheels 5.

The counter wheel shaft 6 and the support shaft 7 are, together with a web portion 9, connected to form a U-shaped member, the counter wheel shaft and the support shaft comprising the parallel legs of the member. The entire U-shaped member is made in one piece from wire or rod material. One leg of the U- shaped member, in the exemplary embodiment the counter wheel shaft 6, is longer than he other leg and the free end thereof is journalled in a recess or hole located in the main portion 3 of the housing. The free end of the support shaft 7 terminates at the counter wheel 5 located nearest the main portions 3 of the housing, and thus does not reach the main portion of the housing.

The recess or hole located in themain portion 3 of the housing for the counter wheel shaft 6 is not intended to hold the U-shaped member in any specific position of rotation or to guide the U-shaped member axially. These two functions are fulfilled by the removable portion 4 of the housing, said portion including an end wall portion 10 located beyond the counting mechanism as seen from the main-portion 3 of the housing. The end wall portion 10 is provided with two ridges 11 which betweenthem form a groove 12 in which the web 9 of the U-shaped member fits with a relatively small clearance in the transverse direction of the groove. The U-shaped member is thus held latched against rotation around the bearing of the counterwheel shaft 6 in the main portion 3 of the housing. The depth of the groove 12 is such that when the removable portion 4 is placed in position the bottom of the groove 12 is urged against the web 9, which in turn bears against the nearest counter wheel 5. The counter wheels 5 are constructed to transmit this pressure to the main portion 3 of the housing, against which the last counter wheels 5 bears. The pressure naturally need not be very great, but should be merely sufficient to hold the details in their correct positions. When the actuating means in the main portion 3 of the housing is in the form of a gearing, the last counter wheel 5 may be arranged to abut the outermost of the gears and hold the gears in their correct positions.

As will be evident from FIG. 2, the web 9 of the-U- shaped member is not perfectly straight, but at the point where it is connected with the support shaft is gently curved through and at the point where it joins the counter wheel shaft 6 is first bent outwardly and the inwardly to coincide with the axis of the counter wheel shaft. This construction is highly advantageous, since it ensures that the web is held spaced from the journal point of the nearest counter wheel 5 on the counter wheel shaft 6, thereby reducing the risk of rubbing of the counter wheel on the counter wheel shaft.

The invention is not restricted to the afore described embodiment, but can be modified within the scope of the following claims.

lclaim:

l. A counting mechanism disposed in a housing and having a plurality of counter wheels or the like arranged on a common counter wheel shaft and having means for tens transfer between the counter wheels arranged on a support shaft extending parallel with the counter wheel shaft, characterized in that the counter wheel shaft and the support shaft are formed by the parallel legs of a generally U-shaped member, one leg of which is journalled at its free end in a recess located in the housing which includes'a detachable portion and means for actuating the counting mechanism, the web portion of the U-shaped member interconnecting the legs thereof abuts the outer surface of the counting wheel located furthest away from the main portion of the housing and engages means on the detachable portion of the housing to urge the counting wheels in a member against the counting wheels and the main portion of the housing, and the side walls of the groove are arranged to prevent rotating of the U-shaped member around the leg thereof serving as the counter wheel shaft.

3. A counting mechanism according to claim 2, characterized in that the U-shaped member is made of wire material and that its web portion is so constructed that at least the portion thereof intended to abut the counter wheel located furthest away from the main portion of the housinglies nearer the main portion of the housing than the remaining portions of said web.

4. A counting mechanism according to claim 3, characterized in that the web if the U-shaped member is generally straight and that at the point where it is connected to the support shaft has the form of a gentle curve, while the web is constructed at the point where it is connected to the counter wheel shaft in a manner such that said web first curves slightly away from the main portion of the housing and then is curved back and bent 90 to coincide with the direction of extension of the counter wheel shaft.

my UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE CERTIFICATE OF CORRECTION Patent No. 3,7l4r400 Dated January 30, 1973 Inventor (s) ROLF LAVEN It iseertified that error appears in the above-identified patent and that said Letters Patent are hereby corrected as shown below:

Column 1, line 49, "detachable and" should be omitted. Column 4, line 14, "if" should read -of--.

Signed and sealed this 3rd day of July 1973.

(SEAL) Attest:

EDWARD M.FLETCHER,J R. Rene Tegtmeyer Attesting Officer Acting Commissioner of Patents (5/69) UNITED STATES PATENT OFFKCE CERTIFICATE oFmREmioN Patent No. ,400 Dated January 30, 1973 Inventor-(s) ROLF LAVEN It is certified that error appears in the above-identified patent and that said Letters Patent are hereby corrected as shown below:

. '1 Column 1, line 49, "detachable and" should be omitted. Column 4, line 14, "if" should read -of.

Signed and sealed this 3rd day of July 1973.

:SEAL) \ttest:

EDWARD M.FLETCHER,JR. Rene Tegtmeyer \ttesting Officer Acting Commissioner of Patents 

1. A counting mechanism disposed in a housing and having a plurality of counter wheels or the like arranged on a common counter wheel shaft and having means for tens transfer between the counter wheels arranged on a support shaft extending parallel with the counter wheel shaft, characterized in that the counter wheel shaft and the support shaft are formed by the parallel legs of a generally U-shaped member, one leg of which is journalled at its free end in a recess located in the housing which includes a detachable Portion and means for actuating the counting mechanism, the web portion of the U-shaped member interconnecting the legs thereof abuts the outer surface of the counting wheel located furthest away from the main portion of the housing and engages means on the detachable portion of the housing to urge the counting wheels in a direction towards the main portion of the housing to a position in which the counting wheel located nearest the main portion of the housing abuts the housing and is located in the correct operational position relative to the actuating means.
 1. A counting mechanism disposed in a housing and having a plurality of counter wheels or the like arranged on a common counter wheel shaft and having means for tens transfer between the counter wheels arranged on a support shaft extending parallel with the counter wheel shaft, characterized in that the counter wheel shaft and the support shaft are formed by the parallel legs of a generally U-shaped member, one leg of which is journalled at its free end in a recess located in the housing which includes a detachable Portion and means for actuating the counting mechanism, the web portion of the U-shaped member interconnecting the legs thereof abuts the outer surface of the counting wheel located furthest away from the main portion of the housing and engages means on the detachable portion of the housing to urge the counting wheels in a direction towards the main portion of the housing to a position in which the counting wheel located nearest the main portion of the housing abuts the housing and is located in the correct operational position relative to the actuating means.
 2. A counting mechanism according to claim 1, characterized in that the means on the detachable portion of the housing is a groove, the bottom surface of the groove being arranged to urge the U-shaped member against the counting wheels and the main portion of the housing, and the side walls of the groove are arranged to prevent rotating of the U-shaped member around the leg thereof serving as the counter wheel shaft.
 3. A counting mechanism according to claim 2, characterized in that the U-shaped member is made of wire material and that its web portion is so constructed that at least the portion thereof intended to abut the counter wheel located furthest away from the main portion of the housing lies nearer the main portion of the housing than the remaining portions of said web. 